The Worst Curse of All
by FroFro
Summary: Jack and Anna Maria have had a baby. When they get sick (nothing serious), the crew gets stuck babysitting. Can the ruffian pirates handle a baby? PLEASE R/R! Take it easy on me, though...this is my first published FF. LOL!
1. the calm before the storm

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The Worst Curse Of All

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Disclaimer: I don't own PotC. Wish I did, but I don't--that's all Disney. Besides, if I owned Capt. Jack, I can think of a tons of things I could be doing instead of sitting around writing fan fiction... ;-)

Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to mi amiga, Christen. Chrissy, thanks for all the input! Love ya!

A/N: All I can say is that this is my first published fic, so REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW people!

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Chapter 1: calm before the storm

'Aaachoo!'-- The sneeze resonated off the cabin walls. Wiping his nose, Captain Jack Sparrow turned to glare at his first mate and recently wedded wife, Anna Maria, who was slouched against their headboard.

"What?" she asked, inclining her head so as to playfully glare back at him with glazed over eyes.

"Woman, you've gone and made me ill, also!" Jack said. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! I can't be getting sick!"

Anna Maria gave a cough that seemed sincere enough, but which may have been concealing a snicker. Either way, all she succeeded in doing was making herself cough even harder.

"Well, I'b sorry Jack. I diddit beand to gettchoo sick." she sniffled, fighting to enunciate, but failing terrifically. "Id's dot as if I cand control deez tings! I jusd hope dat da baby doesend catch a cold, too."

Jack nodded quietly and gazed over at the cradle rocking gently in time with the sway of the boat. Nestled within, lay a tiny figure in a lacy white pinafore. Her eyes were closed as she lazily sucked on her thumb. It created a soft 'smup-smup' sound barely audible over the lull of the waves splashing against the ship's hull.

The captain's harsh features softened a bit, as he stared down at his sleeping daughter. He had been the one to name her-- Victoria Angelitte, or 'victorious angel', had just seemed to apply to the little one right away. Jack Sparrow had only recently discovered that he could value anything above gold and The Black Pearl. To be concise, his bride and baby girl were quite possibly the _only_ things he did love more than having the life of a pirate. He didn't know what he would do if something happened to them. He would personally kill anyone who tried to tear them from him. 

A grin spread across Jack's face as Victoria rolled over so that she was facing him. She had his eyes and a mulatto complexion about two shades lighter than her mother's. He turned back to Anna Maria. "She really is an angel, idn't she? Make a damn fine pirate, too, someday." 

Anna Maria smiled. "Aye, well, she'll cerdaindly be geddin' 'er practice in, wha' wid being raised up roud here, wod she? Dond laugh at bee, Jack! I cand hardly breathde widbye dose stuffd up like dis!" 

Jack drew off his chuckling, and smiled warmly despite the hate glares he was receiving. He was used to them anyway, and he knew that Anna Maria's were the ones he could ignore altogether. "I'm sorry, luvie, it's just that's quite a change from that haughty Haitian accent you've normally got!" He chuckled again as Anna Maria rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at his head. He dodged it expertly, and crossed to the bed, stopping to smooth the ruffles of Victoria's minute dressing gown as he went.


	2. changing of the guards

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Chapter 2: changing of the guards

Jack awoke to the sound of Victoria crying. He had a splitting headache all of a sudden, and he discovered that he could no longer breathe through his nose. His eyes were watering and he felt as though he had something scaly in his throat. Anna Maria moaned and hit Jack on the arm. "Your turnd, Jack. I feel terrubble." She gave a hacking cough and rolled back over to leave him to it. 

Jack wanted to move, he really did, but he just couldn't make his body work properly. With a great deal of effort, he managed to pull himself into a sitting position. A wave of dizziness swept over him. _'I wasn't drinking was I?' _He mused to himself. '_Ugh. I feel like shit.' _

"Annie? Are you sure you can't get her?" He asked before flopping back onto the mattress. "Annie?" She was already fast asleep with her mouth hanging open.

"Okay, then." Jack pulled himself upright once more. This time, he managed to get to his feet, his stance more wobbly than usual (if that can be believed...) He grasped his nightstand and walked shakily towards the wall in front of him. "Shhhh, Vicky, luv. Please, just give me a minute." Jack caressed her cheek as he made his way to the wall. Once he reached it, he pounded his fist against the wood. **_'_**Bang, bang, bang!'-- "Gibbs! Gibbs! Wake up and get yourself in here, man! Now!" A series of scuffling noises and thuds could be heard from through the thin clapboard. 

In a matter of seconds a portly man with a scruffy beard and graying hair appeared in the doorway. "I'm 'ere cap'n! What is it?" Mr. Gibbs panted as he spoke, trying to catch his breath. 

"Alfred, I need you to get Victoria back to sleep. Check her diaper, feed her, sing to her, whatever it takes, just get her back to bed. Can I trust you with that? May want to keep her outta this cabin for a while, too. Anna Maria's gotten me sick. Don't want the baby to be catchin' anything, seeing as we're so far out with no medicine or a healer an' all." Jack explained.

Mr. Gibbs just stood there staring blankly at his captain for a few moments. "Mr. Gibbs?" Jack inquired. "What? Oh yeah, right. So... you want me to, er, take care of the baby, do ya?" Gibbs said finally. 

"Isn't that just what I've been telling you to do?" Questioned Jack. 

"Well, yessir, but I- I dunno nothin' about kids an' all. How do ya expect me to be able to handle her?" Stammered Gibbs.

"Oh, I'm sure that you'll do a superfluous job of it. It's not that difficult really." Jack lifted the crying infant out of the cradle and hoisted her up to his shoulder, bouncing slowly. "And besides, the whole crew is there to help you with her if you need it. I just don't want her to catch cold. Not a lot we could do for her if she did, savvy?" 

Jack gave Victoria a quick kiss on the forehead and handed her over to a dumbstruck Gibbs. "Ta, Al. Knew I could count on you, mate." Jack thanked him. Then he shooed him out of the door and fell back into bed.


	3. conundrum

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Chapter 3: conundrum 

Outside the captain's cabin, Alfred Gibbs stood motionless, holding the wailing child out in front of him. The aging pirate stared down at the cargo he had just acquired. He looked from side to side, his eyes pleading for help. No one else was on deck. 

Victoria made a pitiful hiccupping noise. " There, there. 's alright now. Erm... well, are ya hungry?" Victoria just kept on wailing. "Guess not... You don't have a load in yer pants, do ya? 'cause I refuse to do anythin' about tha'!" He lifted her up and sniffed. "Oh! Davie Jones' locker! That stinks worse than I do!" 

Gibbs stared wild eyed around the deck once more. '_Well, I can't jus' leave her in pooie nappies, now can I? Jack'd kill me... no, ANNA MARIA would kill me! It can't be that bad cannit? I mean, I suppose it'd only last fer a mo'... but what to use as a diaper? Jack didn't exactly specify... Anything cloth would work, wouldn't it? Yah, 'course it would.' _

The pirate set Victoria down on the deck. "Now, you just stay _right there_, alrigh'? I'll be back in a minute with something to take care o' that stench." Gibbs turned to leave, but then swung back around. "Oh, and try to keep quiet, will yeh? The rest o' the crew's still abed." He pressed a finger to his lips. Victoria just stared blankly up at him, tottering a bit as the ship crested a series of waves. Gibbs took her silence to mean that she understood him perfectly and he slipped inside the crew's quarter's. 

Snore's -and a smell to rival Victoria's dirty diaper-greeted him as he entered the dark room. Gibbs felt his way to the small circular table in the center of the cabin and grabbed the dimming kerosene lamp. He turned the dial at the base of the lamp, elucidating a small radius around him with soft lamplight. 

Gibbs looked intently about him at his sleeping ship-mates. Squinting, he trailed along each hammock, each bunk, with is eyes until finally he found the object that he had been pursuing. A grin crept across his weathered face as he settled his gaze on a young pirate named Rob--and the maroon bandana that he had wrapped around his head. 

Gibbs lowered the wick of his lamp until the flame flickered; threatening to go out. He crept as soundlessly as a man his size could manage to Rob's hammock. Setting the lamp down on the floor, he carefully began loosening the knot on the back of the boy's kerchief. When he had undone the tie, he ever so slowly started pulling the cloth from the entangled mess of Rob's hair. 

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'AHA! Success!' Gibbs took a step away from the sleeping pirate. He admired the material in his hand. He'd done it without even waking-- a hand suddenly latched onto Gibbs wrist and a second later Rob was on his feet with a dagger pointed at Gibbs' throat. "Oops..." Was all Gibbs could say, taken aback by how quickly all of the above had happened. 

"I think you've some of me property in your grubby paws, Gibbsy. How's about given it back and I don't slice you ear to ear, eh? You know, bein' as I don't fancy myself a seditious type man. At least, not yet..." Rob scowled extending an upward palm. 

"Now, now, Rob. Didn't mean nothin' by it... it's just, well, Jack's made me do something I'd rather not be doin', specially this late at night, and I just needed a bit of-- _indirect_ help, as it were." Gibbs attempted to vindicate. At the mention of Jack's name, Rob loosened his grip somewhat and lowered his blade. 

"What sort o' sumpthin' did the cap'n set you off doin' at this hour, huh? Not a likely story, Gibbs." He frowned. "If yeh wanted to 'borrow' me bandana, all ye had to do was ask, yeh know." Rob said, a bit sulkily.

"Look, matey, the bandana's not fer me. It's for the captain's kiddie, arigh'?" Gibbs said. "Come 'ere. I'll show ya what I mean." He took Rob by the sleeve and led him to the door. He threw it open and smirked at Rob's expression. "There, see? I told yeh it was for the little baby."

Rob turned to look at Gibbs as if the older man was insane. "Gibbs..."

"Yes, Robert?" Rob grabbed Gibbs by the chin and turned his face forward. "WHAT little baby?" Gibbs gasped. Victoria was nowhere in sight. 


End file.
